鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥 might be the longest-running medical drama on television, but it鈥檚 also one of the most relevant, according to star and executive producer Debbie Allen.
Since its midseason debut in 2005, the Shonda Rhimes-created series has inspired spinoffs, social conversations and new revelations about the medical field. Those stories aren鈥檛 just for people of a certain generation, either. In 2024, 鈥淕rey鈥檚鈥 was the second most streamed series in the U.S., second only to a little children鈥檚 show known as 鈥淏濒耻别测.鈥
鈥淭he footprint of 鈥楪rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥 would have landed whenever it came out,鈥 said Allen, who joined the series as Dr. Catherine Avery in 2011, has been an executive producer since 2015 and has directed more than 40 episodes of the show.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 even go to a bar mitzvah without being the centre of attention,鈥 she continued in a Zoom interview. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the young people that are loving the show. They鈥檙e going back to the beginning, it鈥檚 so good.鈥
Allen spoke to the Star about the ongoing success of “Grey’s” and its role in addressing important topics like women鈥檚 health care. These issues feel especially relevant given the current political climate in the States, she agreed, although the series has been tackling such storylines for 21 years now.
鈥淲e tell authentic stories about things that are true. Nothing we do is fiction,鈥 Allen said. 鈥淲omen鈥檚 clinics all over the country have been shut down. People are having to cross state lines to get the care they need and this is not just about abortions. Women who are pregnant need certain tests and things they can鈥檛 get right now. That鈥檚 a story 鈥楪rey鈥檚鈥 has taken up.鈥
Mental health has also been part of the 鈥淕rey鈥檚鈥 conversation over the years, from addiction and trauma to loss and depression.
鈥淲e did a show last year about a young doctor who went up on the rooftop and we weren’t sure if he was going to jump or not,鈥 Allen added. 鈥淭hat was based on reality.鈥
The 75-year-old adds that people have thanked her for particular storylines over the years that saved their lives, because they didn鈥檛 know to look for certain signs or symptoms before they saw them on 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy.鈥
Allen doesn鈥檛 take her platform with the show lightly. Instead, she鈥檚 using it to shine a light on issues that are personally important to her. Allen recently joined a diabetes awareness campaign called Above the Bias, which includes a short film and messaging aimed at ending the stigma surrounding diabetes. She鈥檚 also hoping to incorporate a bigger diabetes storyline into 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥 at some point.
鈥淒iabetes runs in my family. My dad and my favourite aunt, my two grandfathers all passed away from complications of diabetes,鈥 she said, adding she also has many relatives currently living with the disease.
鈥淭his is a conversation that鈥檚 never really been had. Above the Bias puts you in the shoes of someone who is living with diabetes and it shows you the world from their point of view,鈥 she continued. 鈥淪o many people really don鈥檛 know what bias looks like and they may be unconsciously perpetuating misconceptions or saying hurtful things to people they love.鈥
According to the campaign, one in three Canadians with diabetes have admitted to skipping or missing a doctor鈥檚 appointment due to stigma or shame.
鈥淚 have a friend who recently admitted to me that he doesn鈥檛 want to go to the doctor because he doesn鈥檛 want to hear the numbers,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut you have to go to the doctor; otherwise you can鈥檛 protect yourself.鈥
Looking ahead to the back half of the latest 鈥淕rey鈥檚鈥 season, Allen promised that viewers can look forward to juicy but relevant character storylines, including Lena Waithe joining the cast as Catherine鈥檚 prot茅g茅. As the actor admits, the show is about relationships first and foremost, and it always has been 鈥 ever since Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) realized she had slept with her attending physician, Derek (Patrick Dempsey) before her first day of work.
While Allen doesn鈥檛 know exactly where all of these current relationships will go, she鈥檚 sure of one thing: the fans aren鈥檛 ready to let 鈥淕rey鈥檚 Anatomy鈥 go anytime soon.
鈥淚 thought three years ago we were going to finish, but the fans won鈥檛 let the network shut it down,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 become a global phenomenon. God bless Shonda Rhimes for setting forth this footprint that just continues to expand.鈥
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